jupiter_ascendingfandomcom-20200214-history
Balem Abrasax
Balem Abrasax is the eldest of the three Abrasax siblings (Balem, Kalique, and Titus) who control the vast Abrasax imperial holdings across much of the Verse. He is the owner of Earth, among other planets, before Jupiter Jones assumes her title as Empress and the inheritance deeded to her by the previous Empress (Seraphi Abraxas) puts Earth under her jurisdiction. Balem is cruel, has a fierce temper, and had a tumultuous relationship with his mother. Biography Brother to Kalique and Titus, and son of Seraphi, Balem is tens of thousands years old. Balem worships business and profit, having been mentored by his mother to head Abrasax Industries. Balem was extremely close to his mother, and it is strongly implied that their relationship was incestuous. Balem feels that his mother understood the universe and him better than anyone else, and has a strong belief in the dominant power structure. While the time frame and actual facts of the situation are unclear, it is implied that Caine Wise attacked Balem and damaged his throat; this would explain why Balem wears high collars and speaks in extreme (low and high) registers. According to his own account, Balem and his mother had an explosive argument at the end of her life that culminated with her saying that she hated her life and begging Balem to kill her; Balem fulfilled his mother’s wish, but sacrificed his own sanity in doing so. As his mother’s primary heir, Balem inherited the lion’s share of her estates and became the head of Abrasax Industries. He is skilful at managing his estates and maximising profit, but appears to be temperamental and unstable. He and his siblings gather on the recently harvested planet Zalintyre, where comments made by Titus about Earth alert Balem to the fact that his siblings are aware that his mother might have a recurrence. This news alarms him, since his agents are actively hunting for the recurrence in an attempt to eliminate her. Balem is shown to hold Titus in contempt, but appears to have a civil relationship with Kalique; he seems worn and run-down on Xandar, with greying hair and aged skin. After leaving Xandar, Balem, having made himself young again by bathing in Regenex, is shown to travel to his largest refinery on Jupiter, where he is informed that Seraphi’s recurrence (who is believed to be named Katherine Dunlevy, but is actually Jupiter Jones) has been located; his agents dispatch a group of assassins to kill her. They fail, and Jupiter is rescued by Caine Wise; Balem is sent a recording of Jupiter’s rescue, and appears to be moved and disturbed by Jupiter’s resemblance to his mother. The bounty hunters employed by Balem’s agents betray him, and instead of killing Jupiter they take her to Balem’s sister Kalique. This news angers Balem, and he kills one of his flying dinosaur underlings in retribution. He changes his order before Jupiter is confirmed as Seraphi’s recurrence, ordering his subordinates to “bring her to me”. Later, Balem’s agents are sent to kidnap Jupiter’s family and take them back to the refinery for use as leverage against Jupiter. Jupiter is blackmailed into going to meet Balem on the refinery, where he confronts her alone. Balem initially faces away from Jupiter, but becomes increasingly distressed and emotional after turning to face her; he repeats the mantras learned from his mother (“some lives will always matter more than others”), but doesn’t seem to fully believe in them anymore. Balem presses Jupiter to give up her inheritance rights in exchange for her family’s safety, promising her that she and her family will never see the harvest in their lifetime. While Jupiter comes close to giving in, she ultimately refuses. Enraged, Balem attempts to strangle her. Jupiter knees Balem in the groin and Caine, having destablised the entire refinery by piercing the protective shell surrounding it, bursts in, entering into a battle with Balem’s forces and giving Jupiter a chance to get away. Balem watches Jupiter from the shadows, emerging when he thinks she is vulnerable and swiping at her with a dagger, cutting her arm. Jupiter turns her gun on Balem, shooting him in the leg after he taunts her by saying that she won’t be able to pull the trigger. An explosion causes the floor to subside beneath them, and Jupiter and Balem are both sent tumbling through a ‘grav trough’ (a zero gravity channel). They both manage to get a hold of some railings, and Balem watches as Jupiter flees. After being separated for some time, Balem surprises Jupiter and viciously attacks her with a metal crowbar. Balem knocks Jupiter down, drags her across the ground by her ponytail and addresses her as if she is Seraphi, asking if she remembers her death; while he’s distracted by his rant, Jupiter presses a finger into the gunshot wound in Balem’s leg, overpowering him and attacking him with the crowbar until he stays down. In a state of extreme distress, Balem confesses the ‘truth’ about his mother’s death – saying that she begged him to kill her. Although she has the chance to, Jupiter refuses to kill Balem, saying “I’m not your damn mother” before throwing the crowbar aside. Immediately afterwards, the platform that they are standing on collapses and Jupiter and Balem both fall; Balem’s fate is unknown, but it is presumed that he died in the fall.